All Episodes
Displaying episodes 1 - 13 of 13 in total
Episode 9: Suffering and Stoicism
Life is full of suffering. Happiness is fleeting. But even with all our modern problems, the Ancients can teach us how to stand firm against the storm. No one in histo...
Episode 8: Maximizing the Mundane.
After an unforeseen and personally challenging hiatus, your host returns a little more humble and a little more hopeful. This atypically personal episode covers how th...
Episode 7: Meditations on Meditation Part 2
Inner peace is hard to acquire, but meditation is one of the best methods to acquire it. This episode is a beginner's catalogue of techniques and styles you can try to...
Cloister Conversations 2: Melissa Baker
Melissa Baker is an author, blogger, spiritual practitioner who has taken up a role all but forgotten in the modern West. In an almost Shamanic fashion, Melissa create...
Episode 6: Religious Ritual and Positive Habit
What separates a mere habit from a meaningful ritual? How can we turn our habits from trivial to transcendent? And how do we approach the traditions that define our pa...
Episode 5: Ikigai and Logotherapy
We all need a reason to get up in the morning. The better your reason, the better your day is likely to turn out. Logotherapy is all about discovering the healing powe...
Visions of the Past 1: Origen of Alexandria
Bold, brilliant, and deeply controversial, a man called Origen changed the Christian world forever. But his style of thought has influenced far more than just medieval...
Episode 4: Charity, Donation, and Service
When we do good, we feel good. Caring for the poor and needy has a place in almost every religious tradition. But you don't need to be religious to like helping others...
Episode 3: Fasting and Self Denial
Fasting is one of the oldest and most effective physical and spiritual techniques. Simple, though by no means easy, it cleanses the body, enlivens the mind, and settl...
Cloister Conversations 1: Genjo Yorke
Genjo is the youngest Sōtō Zen Monk in America to have completed novitiate training. He is also the Head of Practice at the Olympia Zen Center. Dean joins Genjo in his...
Episode 2: Meditations on Meditation Part 1
Meditation is one of the most venerable and diverse practices in the world. It’s so much more than chanting, sitting, and funny poses. In fact, unless you’re already i...
Episode 1: The Alchemy of Gratitude
Gratitude is so universally preached that we’ve come to roll our eyes at it. But while it may be trite to some, there are scientific findings on it that might surprise...
Welcome to the Monastery: Episode 0
An open door introduction to a very peculiar show. Learn what you can expect from Modernist Monastery and why something like it might be needed. Get a sneak peak into ...